Blithely carrying on as if Brexit never happened the European Commission is putting more pressure on Ireland over borders and taxes. This could just stoke calls for Irexit, an Irish exit out of the EU.

The UK and Ireland have a special border arrangement going back 70 years which helps both countries. But that is under threat due to the EU’s need to save face over its collapsing Schengen border agreement. With razor wire and armed guards marking many of the EU’s chaotic internal land borders, still Brussels pressures Ireland and the UK.

Another current controversy is over Ireland’s temporarily suspension of water charges. Part of a political deal reached in the elected Dail, parliament, on governing the country. This is a very sensitive issue. Both for domestic users and for historical reasons in an Ireland still scared by the Great Famine Genocide of the 1840s and access to the basics to sustain life. So the Brussels unelected heavy-handed response on its Water Framework Directive has been unhelpful.

With Ireland now a net contributor to the EU’s demands in Continental Europe what chance of an Irexit in a few years ?